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UNITED STATES ALONZO DOWV AND ROLAN N. WVARREN, OF WOOSTER, OHIO; SAID \VARREN ASSIGNOR TO SAID DOW.

INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,102, dated October 7, 1890.

Application filed August 13, 1890. Serial No. 361,856- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALONZO Dow and ROLAN N. WARREN, of Wooster, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers; and We do hereby declare the followlng to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In a prior application filed jointly by ourselves on the 18th day of March, 1890, Serial hi0. 344,366, we have shown and described an inhaler consisting of an outer tube provided I 5 with a contracted outlet at one end, an inner tube arranged concentric within said outer tube to provide an intermediate space between said tubes, a filling of suitable chemicals between said tubes, and a cap for the outer tube,

20 which cap is rigid with the tube, has a central bearing or stud to receive one end of the inner tube, and is provided with an axiallyturnlng sleeve on its exterior, which sleeve has an aperture adapted to align with a suitable aperture in the cap and permit air to pass into the tubes.

Our present invention is designed as an improvement on the device which forms the subject-matter of our aforesaid application; and

the object of our invention is to simplify the construction of the inhaler, reduce the cost of and facilitate the manufacture of the same, and to provide improved means for radially admitting air to the inhaler without requir- 3 5 ing the operator to observe the position of the parts, so that the device can be manipulated or adjusted for use in'the dark as well as in the light.

With these ends in view our invention consists of the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

To enable others to understand our inven- 4 5 tion we will now proceed to a detailed description thereof, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a side elevation of our improved inhaler. Fig. 11 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. III is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the outer case of the inhaler and the adjustable cap thereof. Fig. IV is a detail view of the inner shell or receptacle detached from the inhaler. Fig. V is a detail view of the blank of sheet metal from which the inner shell or receptacle is made.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which 1 designates the exterior or outside shell of ourimproved inhaler, said shell or case being cylindrical in form except at one end-, where it is tapered or made conical in form, as at 2. The conical end 2 has an air-outlet 3 in the apex, and the cylindrical portion of the shell is open at the end, said open end being screwthreaded at 4 on the interior of the case or shell. An annular flange or ridge 5 is provided between the cylindrical portion and the conical end of the case or shell 1, and on this tapered portion is fitted a closed removable cap 6, which impinges against the flange 5, and which cap serves to close the air-outlet orifice and prevent evaporation of the medicaments contained within the case or shell.

The open-threaded end of the cylindrical portion of the case or shell is closed by a hollow plug 7, which is exteriorly screw-threaded and is adapted to be screwed into the open- 8o threaded end of the cylindrical portion of the shell. This plug 7 is made hollow, as described,'to provide a longitudinal passage 8 in said plug, which passage opens through the inner end of the plug; but the outer end of the plug is closed by a head 9, which is made or formed integral with the plug, said head being of greater diameter than the diameter of the plug so that the head is flush with the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion of the case or shell 1. The plug is adapted to be screwed home within the cylindrical shell or case, to cause the inner face of the projecting portion of the head 9 to bear against the end of the case'or shell, and thus exclude air from entering the shell and prevent evaporation of the medicaments therein; but the plug is provided with air-inlet passages or ports which can be exposed by a few turns of the plug to admit air to said passages or ports, I00

which adjustment of the plug to admit air in the plug or shell can be made as well in the dark as in the light, as it is not necessary for the operator to observe the positions of the parts in manipulating or adjusting the device for use, which is very desirable. 4 In the preferred embodiment of our invention, we provide the plug with transverse passages 10, which are located therein a short distance within and very close to the head of the plug, and these passages 10 open through the outer faces of the plug and into the iongitudinal passage therein, whereby the passages 10 can be exposed to the air by a few turns of the screw-plug and air thus permitted to pass through said transverse passages into the longitudinal passage of the plug, and thence into the case or shell. In lieu, howtransverse passages w hich open into the plug, we may employ a solid plug and provide the same with longitudinal grooves or passages, which extend from the inner end of the plug to points near the integral head at the outer end of the same, so that the plug can be screwed into the case to shut off air from the passages or grooves, or be given a few turns to admit air to said passages and the case or shell 1.

Within the exterior case or shell 1 we arrange an inner removable shell or receptacle 11, containing the medicament for treatment of catarrh, headache, and other diseases. This receptacle or inner shell is preferably made froma fiat blank or piece of metal, (indicated in the drawings,) and this blank is perforated with small holes throughout its length and width, to admit of free passage or circulation of air through theshell or receptacle when the blank is bent or rolled up to form said shell or receptacle. The ends of the blank or shell 12, from which the receptacle or inner shell is made, are slitted or cut to form the series of plurality of tongues 13 at each end of said blank of sheet metal, and to make the receptacle or shell the perforated blank is bent, rolled, or folded into a polygonal receptacle of suitable diameter to fit snugly within the case or shell 1. After the blank has been rolled, doubled, or bent, as described, the lips or tongues 13 at one end are bent inward one upon the other to close one end of the receptacle, after which the medicaments are introduced or placed within the receptacle, and the other open end of the same is closed by bending the lips or tongues 13 in like manner, and finally the medicament-containing receptacle-is thrust or inserted into the outer case or shell 1. As indicated, the ends of the sheet-metal perforated receptacle are approximately polygonal in form, with the body of the receptacle cylindrical, or substantially so; but if desired the receptacle may be cylindrical throughout its length, or it may be polygonal in form, so that air-spaces may be provided between the outer case or shell and the inner shell or receptacle, the receptacle fitting snugly within the case 1 and held therein by frictional contact between the walls of the case and the receptacle.

We prefer to employ in our improved inhaler the same medicaments mentioned in our prior application, hereiubefore referred toto wit, crystals of menthol, chloride of ammonium, and carbonate of potassium, which are contained in and impregnate medicated cotion or other suitable packing, the whole being placed within the receptacle before the latter is inserted into the case or shell-1. ever, of making the plug hollow and using the The operation of our improved inhaler is obvious from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, and maybe briefly described as follows: To use the inhaler the cap is removed from the conical end and the screw-plug given one or two turns to permit air to enter the inhaler, and the device can be readily used by inhaling from the tapered end of the case .1, which draws air through the medicainents, the air being impregnated with the odors of the medicaments on its passage through the device. The cap can be readily replaced and the plug screwed home to shut off air from the case to avoid evaporation and waste of the medicaments, and the manipulation or adjustment of the device can be readily and easily performed without observing the positions of the parts, thus making the device available for use in the dark.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new article of manufacture, the herein-described inhaler, consisting of the imperforate outer shell provided with an open threaded end, the medicament-containing receptacle fitted in said shell within thethreaded end thereof, and the hollow threaded plug screwed directly into the threaded end of the outer shell, said plug having an imperforat-e head at the outer end thereof and the transverse apertures or ports formed in the body of the plug near the imperforate head thereof andopening into the longitudinal passage in said plug, for the purpose described, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

' ALONZO DOW.

ROLAN N. WARREN. Witnesses:

ANDREW MASSOW, A. G. PATTERSON. 

